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Ask Polly

'My Parents Don't Understand Me'

Sometimes pushing boundaries doesn't help.

Heather Havrilesky
Jun 30, 2021
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Black Mesa Landscape, New Mexico (1930) by Georgia O’Keeffe

Dear Polly,

I had a mostly great childhood with parents who excelled at raising small kids. Since high school (15 years ago), it has been increasingly difficult to feel connected to my parents emotionally. They don’t “get” me as an adult. We have very different interests and a lot of different va…

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